Careers in Geography and Environmental Studies

Students graduating with degrees in Geography and/or Environmental Studies find a wealth of employment opportunities open to them. The major career paths and percentage of graduates with Bachelorís degrees who take them include:

Teacher

16%

Environmental manager

13%

GIS

10%

Cartographer

8%

Planner

6%

By economic sector, geographers were distributed accordingly:

Government

34%

Private sector

40%

Education

17%

Nonprofit, self-employed

9%

Some public agencies hiring geographers include those in the Federal government (60% of publicly-employed geographers):

National Imagery and Mapping Agency
National Ocean & Atmospheric Administration
Bureau of Land Management
Army Corps of Engineers
Environmental Protection Agency
Soil and Water Conservation Service
U.S. Geological Survey
Departments of Agriculture, Interior, Commerce
Forest Service
National Parks Service
Bureau of Labor Statistics
Bureau of Economic Analysis
Census Bureau
Economic Development Administration
Interstate Commerce Commission

At the state, county, and local levels (40% of publicly-employed), geographers work in:

For more information about careers in Geography and Environmental Studies, check out the following webpages:

Association of American Geographers www.aag.org (This page has an extensive listing of careers, examples of working geographers, professional portfolios, contact list of geographers who can help provide information, and notes on the use of GIS. It also offers an employer directory.)
The American Geographical Society also runs a career website at
http://geojobs.amergeog.org